Wherever You May Be
by Irlanda Anima
Summary: This goes with the idea that Angel and Buffy are soulmates. What if Angel had known Buffy before he had been turned into a Vampire? HIATUS
1. Prologue

**BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER **

'Wherever You May Be'

Written by Moonlight Snitch

Spoilers for Becoming Part I (Flashbacks)

* * *

**Prologue**

Angel stumbled slightly, his filthy hands held close to his chest as he stepped closer to a trashcan and began to go through it, looking for anything that he might be able to eat. He couldn't remember the last time he ate and the hunger was beginning to get harder to control, but he fought it off, not letting it escape. He couldn't afford too.

A man brushed past him and continued down the street, totally ignoring him. Angel was fine with that. It was better that he was ignored, better that he was forgotten. After everything he had did, after what he had become. He became the very thing he swore to himself that he'd never be.

Having found nothing, Angel made his way further into the alley with slow, labored steps. A boy ran past him with a package and disappeared further down the alley. Angel, tried and weak, staggered into a concrete post at the side of the alley and stopped. He coughed heavily and rolled around to lean with his back against the post. The light from a near by lamppost illuminated him for a moment and displayed how filthy and unkempt he was. His face was paler then usually and he had huge bags under his eyes, a sure sign that he was tired.

He breathed for a moment, not having too but doing so by habit, so that he could blend in better with the humans around him. He opened his eyes wider after a moment, having smelt something. He searched the alley with his eyes and spotted a rat scampering across to the other side. He took a couple of unsteady steps, brushing the hair from his face and began to stalk the rat. It reached the other side and disappeared into a pile of trashcans and bags. Angel dived after it, scattering the cans and bags noisily, but he lost track of the rat.

He cursed under his breath as he rolled over to sit against the wall and failed his arms angrily over the missing rat. There was a man in the alley with him now and that man stepped closer.

"God, are you disgusting."

Angel calmed himself down and looked around the alley, trying to figure out whom this man was talking too. It couldn't be him. No one had bothered to talk to him for the past twenty years.

"This is really an unforgettable smell. This is the stench of death you're giving off here. And the look says, uh…crazy homeless guy. It's not good."

Now Angel new this guy was talking to him, but he couldn't understand why. So he just turned away from the man angrily and said, "Get away from me."

"What are you gonna do, bite me?" The man gasped and jumped back from Angel. "Horrors! A vampire!"

Angel looked up at the guy in surprise. He looked like just your average Joe, however Angel could smell that there was something different about him.

"Ah, but you wouldn't bite me on account of your pour tortured soul. It's so sad, a vampire with a soul. It's so poignant."

Angel flinched slightly at the mention of his tortured soul. Tortured was right, but not in exactly the way most people thought. Sure it tore Angel up inside over the deaths and chaos he had caused when he hadn't had a soul, but his soul had been tortured long before he had even been turned. Long before.

"Who are you?" Angel asked, slightly confused as to how these guy seemed to know so much about him.

"Let's take a walk."

Angel didn't understand why he was going anywhere with this guy. He knew that he couldn't trust him. He couldn't trust anyone. Not even himself.

The walked for a few paces along the sidewalk and then turned into a street to cross to the hotdog stand on the other side. Angel didn't pay any attention to the traffic and almost got run over, but the man grabbed his arm in time to stop him. The man didn't seem to take much notice in the fact that he just saved Angel from a few possible broken ribs.

"What are you eating?" he asked as they continued to cross the road. "Like, a rat once a month?"

Angel strayed again and almost walked into another car. The man grabbed him again and pulled him back in time.

"Hey!" The man yelled at the car, which honked angrily at them, but they continued across. "Look, you're skin and bones here! Butcher shops are throwing away more blood in a day than you could stand. Good blood."

They reached the far side and the man stopped Angel, making him face him. "You lived in the world a little bit, you'd know that."

Angel was beginning to get pissed off. What did this man know of his life? Nothing. Angel knew very well that the world was better off if he stayed out of it.

"I wanna know who you are." Angel said.

The man smiled slightly. "And I wanna know who _you_ are."

"You already do."_ Or seem too_, Angel thought.

"Not yet. But I'm looking to find out. 'Cause you could go either way here."

Angel twisted his face in confusion. "I don't understand you."

The guy chuckled slightly. "Nobody understands me. That's my curse."

He stepped up to the street vendor and pulled out some cash. "Dog me. Mustard."

He watched the vendor get out the hotdog and squirted on some mustard.

"My name's Whistler," he said, looking back at Angel.

"Here you go," the vendor said, handing Whistler his dog.

"Thanks," Whistler replied, handing over a bill before turning back to Angel. "Anyways, lately it is." He took a bite out of the hotdog and mumbled in appreciation.

Angel looked down at the ground, trying not to show how jealous he was of the food. "You're not a vampire."

"A demon," Whistler replied. "Technically. I mean, I'm not a bad guy. Not all demons are dedicated to the destruction of all life."

Angel knew that, but he still didn't understand Whistler's point.

He looked back up at him. "What do you mean, I can go either way?"

Whistler swallowed a bit of the hotdog. "I mean that you can become an even more useless rodent than you already are, or you can become someone. A person. Someone to be counted."

"I just wanna be left alone," Angel said, starting to turn away. He didn't need this.

"Well, yeah, you've been left alone for, what, ninety years already," Whistler called out.

Angel turned back to face him, trying not to let the pain show on his face. Alone. That's all he'd ever be. He'd been alone even when he had been Angelus and he had had Darla and Dru. He'd been alone every since she… no, he wouldn't think about that now.

"And what a package you are," Whistler continued. "The Stink Guy!"

"What do you want from me?"

"I want you to see something."

He gave Angel an intense look and Angel just looked back at him. What did this guy want from him?

"We'd have to leave now. You see, and then you tell me what you want to do."

Angel paused for a moment, weighing his options. Could anything be worst then everything already was? No, he didn't think so.

He sighed. "Where is it?"

* * *

Angel carefully rolled down the window on the old, rusted Chevy Impala that he was driving in, trying to stay out of the sunlight. Students were streaming out of Hemery High School, but none paid much attention to the rusty car with spray-painted black windows, and for that Angel was grateful. 

He wasn't fully sure what he was doing there. Whistler had just told him to stay here and watch for a girl that would be approached by a Watcher. Didn't take him long to realize that he was looking for the new Slayer, but he didn't understand why he was. What was it that Whistler wanted him too see?

He let his eyes scan the crowd, using the senses that he had to tell him which one was the Slayer. A voice from the crowd broke through his thoughts though, and he wiped he gaze around, looking for the person who had spoken. He knew that voice, but it couldn't be. She was dead.

But there she was. Clear as day, coming down the stairs with a group of her friends.

"Abby," Angel whispered, a tear rolling down his cheek and his dead heart constricted painfully in his chest. It couldn't be her.

"So I'm like, 'Dad, do you want me to go to the dance in an outfit I've already worn? Why do you hate me?'"

Her voice was as he remembered it being, and she looked almost exactly the same as when he had last seen her, except the pain and sadness was gone from her sparkly hazel-green eyes. He accent was different, but he didn't care. It was her and that's all he cared about.

"Is Tyler taking you?" One of her girl friends asked.

"Where were you when I got over Tyler? He's of the past." Angel watched her closely, trying to understand how she could be here, wondering if Whistler knew what exactly he had sent Angel to see.

"Tyler would have to crawl on his hands and knees to get me to go to the dance with him. Which, actually, he's supposed to do after practice, so I'm gonna wait."

Angel smiled softly. She hadn't really changed.

"Okay. See ya later," Another one of the girls said, as they all began to leave his girl.

"Bye," yet another said, and the girl who look like his Abaigeal, waved at all her friends, telling each to call her.

Once they were all gone, she climbed back up a few of the steps of the school and sat down, looking around and sucking on some sort of candy that Angel didn't know the name of. She took off her jacket and waited for this Tyler person, placing the jacket across her legs and then idly looking around again.

A man in a brown trench coat approached her and it was then that Angel realized it was her that would be the Slayer. _The irony_, Angel thought to himself.

"Buffy Summers?" The man asked, and Angel sighed now knowing her name. He knew that there was no way it could have been Abaigeal, but he knew in his heart it was still her. It had to be.

Buffy looked up at the guy. "Yeah," she said smiling. "Hi," then she just looked confused. "What?"

"I need to speak with you," he said and Buffy looked worried.

"You're no from Bullock's, are you? 'Cause I-I meant to pay for that lipstick."

"There isn't much time," the Watcher said and Angel understood what he meant. Potential Slayers were trained from almost birth, leading very isolated and harsh lives. But it seemed that they hadn't been able to find Buffy until now.

"You must come with me," he continued. "Your destiny awaits."

Buffy looked even more confused and shook her head. "I don't have a destiny," she said, but the Watcher just nodded. "I'm destiny-free, really."

The Watcher looked even more serious then before. "Yes, you have. You are the Chosen One. You alone can stop them."

Buffy frowned. "Who?"

"The vampires."

* * *

Angel watched from behind some gravestones as Buffy landed flat on her back. 

"Oof!" She mumbled. The vampire was propped over her now, growling menacingly. She was frightened, he could smell it, and she looked around frantically, not knowing what to do. Her Watcher, Merrick he had said his name was, just stood off to the side watching and Angel felt like strangling him. Buffy didn't know how to fight; he should be helping her.

Buffy spotted her stake, but couldn't reach it, so she put her hands underneath the vampire and pushed him off. He flew off her and landed hard on his back.

Angel chuckled slightly. She didn't know her own strength.

"Oh, God…" Buffy mumbled as she rolled onto her hands and knees, scrambling on all fours to retrieve her stake.

"Oh, God… Oh… Oh, God… Unh!" She grabbed the stake and quickly got to her feet. She looked at it, unsure of what to do next.

_Get it in the heart,_ Angel thought, silently urging her on.

The vampire got up and lunged at her. Reflexively she grabbed him, sidestepped him and sent him flipping over to the ground again, dazed. She looked at the vampire, amazed by what she just did. She glanced at Merrick, down at her stake and then made her move to dispatch the vampire. She quickly got to her knees, raised the stake above her head and plunged it into him, but she got him in the gut instead of the chest.

"Oh! Not the heart!" She muttered.

Angel watched, concerned for her. She wasn't ready for this and he knew it.

Buffy plunged the stake into the vampire again and this time it hit the mark. An instant later the vampire exploded into ashes. Buffy was caught by surprise and she screamed and jumped back, landing on her butt. She just stared at the ashes on the grass in wide-eyes shock. Behind her, Merrick stepped forward.

"You see? You see your power."

Buffy didn't look like she was sure what she just saw. Angel continued to watch her.

* * *

He watched from some trees outside Buffy's home and looked on through the window. Buffy walked into the bathroom, her mother following her. 

"Why didn't you call?" Her mom asked.

Buffy turned to face her mother and Angel could she how upset she was, it was in her eyes. He had always been able to tell what Abaigeal had been feeling. He guessed with Buffy it was no different.

"I'm sorry. I-I didn't know it was so late. Tyler and I were talking."

Her mother exhaled deeply. "That boy is irresponsible."

Buffy shook her head. "No, mom. It's not his fault." She shrugged her jacket off her shoulders.

"You know we worry, that's all," her mother said. They looked at each other for a moment and then her mother shrugged. "Dinner's in ten minutes."

She then left and Buffy closed the door behind her. She turned on the water to wash off the dirt from crawling around in the cemetery. Angel could hear her parent talking in the hall and watched Buffy wince as the talking escalated into an argument.

"Did she say where she was?" Angel assumed it was her father.

"She was with Tyler."

"I don't want her seeing him anymore, period!"

Angel watched as tears began to stream down Buffy's cheeks and he wished that he could be in there with her right now, holding her and wiping her tears away.

"You're overreacting, dear."

Buffy looked at herself in the mirror sadly, trying to stop the tears.

"Don't you do that! Don't talk to me like I'm a kid!" Even Angel winced.

"I don't! Just forget it!"

Angel continued to watch and listen, disliking the situation more and more.

"Just because you can't discipline her, I have to be the ogre!"

Buffy kept staring into the mirror.

"I am not having this conversation again! Alright?" Her mother answered.

Buffy looked down, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

* * *

Angel arrived in the sewer junction that Whistler told him to meet him at. Whistler, of course, was already there, waiting for him. 

"She's gonna have it tough, that Slayer. She's just a kid. The world's full of big, bad things."

"I wanna help her," Angel said and Whistler looked up at him. "I want… I wanna become someone." _I want to be Liam again_, he thought.

Whistler chuckled. "God, jeez, look at you. She must be prettier than the last Slayer."

Angel looked away, trying to keep the hurt at bay. Whistler didn't know. He wasn't all that surprised. No one knew about Abaigeal.

"This isn't gonna be easy," Whistler said, "The more you live in this world, the more you see how apart from it you really are."

Angel closed his eyes tightly. He hadn't been apart of the world since Abaigeal died.

"And this is dangerous work, " Whistler continued sternly. "Right now, you couldn't go three rounds with a fruit fly!"

_It's not going to work,_ Angel thought, opening his eyes to look at Whistler. "I wanna learn from you," he said with resolve. _You're not going to make me give this up._

Whistler sighed and nodded. "Alright."

"But I don't wanna dress like you," Angel replied as he started to leave.

Whistler followed him. "Again, you're annoying me. You're lucky we need you on our side."

_I'm not doing this for you,_ Angel thought as they walked. _I'm doing this for Abby, and I'm doing it for Buffy._

* * *

**AN:** That's just the beginning people. I've got a lot of ideas for this fic and I'm giving you guys the decision. I can go straight to Sunnydale, or I can stay in LA. If I got to Sunnydale, I can have the story of Abby come out in a few places. In Halloween, Surprise/Innocence, or in Amends. It's your guy's choice. I'm also thinking of writing them all and either doing them all as separate stories or as one big story that keeps switching back and forth between story, which is what I'm leaning towards now. Again, whatever you guys want to see, let me know in a review and please do review. I need to know if this story is worth continuing! Thanks for reading and remember to review! 


	2. Revelations

**AN: **Okay everyone, here is the next chapter. I've been give sugestions on what to do next and I've taken them all into concederation, but for now I've decided to take...well you'll see. I came up with this route last night and I hope you'll all enjoy where it will lead. It's a bit confusing to begin with, but just bare with me, cause I've kinda skipped two years. Oh well, hope you guys enjoy it!

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**BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER **

'Wherever You May Be'

Written by Moonlight Snitch

Spoilers for Killed By Death and Becoming Part I (Flashbacks)

**Chapter One – Revelations **

_**Two Years Later… **_

Buffy climbed tiredly over the large brick wall, resting at the top for a moment to release a few coughs, before jumping to the ground. She paused after hitting it, sitting up on her feet and holding her head before standing. She sniffled and coughed as she shuffled her feet through the grass of the graveyard, a long wooden stake grasped tightly in her hand. Her gaze seemed tired and inattentive and she lazily peered out into her empty surroundings, still sniffling and rubbing her nose.

She could sense something near by, but her head was so clogged up that she couldn't focus right and she knew that that was a bad thing.

" 'You should take the night off, Buffy,' he said. 'You need your rest and are in no condition to fight,'" She peered around the side of a mausoleum, but didn't find anything. "For once, I think I should have listened to Giles," She said to herself, holding her head for a moment to try and stop the dizziness.

But she couldn't just stay at home when there were vampires to fight, particularly one vampire. It was her fault Miss Calendar was dead and she wasn't going to have any more deaths on her hands just because she didn't take care of Angel.

_No, not Angel,_ She thought, trying to ignore the pain that had suddenly developed in her chest. _He's Angelus now. Angel's gone._ But even as she thought that, she couldn't really believe it. Even now, she felt Angel's presence around her and she knew it had nothing to do with her vampire sense. Since that night three months ago, she had always felt Angel's presence. He seemed to surround her, especially when she wasn't feeling all that great, whether it was physical or emotional.

Footsteps behind her, alerted her to someone's presence but when she turned around to face whatever it was, there was nothing there.

Buffy raised her state and tried to scan the surrounding area even though her vision was a bit cloudy. "Alright, I know you're there. I'd appreciate it if you just came out and attacked me already seeing as I'm not in a very good mood."

"Sorry to hear that," a voice said from behind her and Buffy whirled around to see Angelus coming out of the shadows. "But don't worry," he continued, smirking. "I'll make this quick."

He attacked and tacked Buffy right to the ground, but Buffy was able to use her legs to throw him off of her. They both stood and turned to face each other. Buffy stepped forward and took a swing at him with her stake. He blocked her with his arm; grabbing her and making her drop the stake.

"Not feeling well, lover?" he asked, his voice sounding slightly concerned, but because of Buffy's unstable state, she didn't notice it.

Instead she looked up at him and punched him in the jaw. He glared back at her and tried to kick her, but she grabbed his foot and shoved his leg up, making him fall hard onto his back.

Buffy smiled then. "That helps."

Angelus scrabbled on all fours. She came at him from behind and tried to kick him, but he kicked out with his leg into her chest, and she staggered back a ways until she regained her balance. He got up and came towards her. She took a couple of swings at him, but he evaded them easily. He blocked a third, grabbed her arm and took her by the throat.

"You know," he said. "You being off you game's kinda takin' the fun out of all this."

He punched her in the face and she stumbled backwards again.

"Nope, still fun!" he said, before punching her in the gut. He then grabbed her by the neck and shoved her around and into a corner column of the small mausoleum. She was dazed and tired to regain her balance, but didn't get a chance because Angelus wasted no time punching her in the face again and knocking her flat on her back. He got on top of her and pined her arms down.

Buffy struggled against him, but just didn't have the strength due to her flu.

"Uh-oh," Angelus said smirking. "This does _not_ look good for our heroine."

Buffy just suddenly stopped struggling and look up at Angelus, staring into the brown eyes that used to be so familiar to her, but were now cold and empty.

"What's this? Not going to fight anymore?" Angelus asked, sounding disappointed.

"What's the point?" Buffy replied, just watching him. "If I win, you die and I spend the rest of my life alone. If you win, I die and I get to rest."

The smile on Angelus's face seemed to vanish, though he still kept a firm grip on Buffy's arms. "So you're just going to give up," he stated. "That's not like you, Buff."

Buffy smiled slightly. "A lot's changed," she said. "I'm tried of losing people. All I ever wanted was to be with you, but even that got taken away from me."

Angelus almost seemed to freeze at her words, but Buffy didn't notice. Everything was spinning and before she knew it, darkness came up and claimed her.

* * *

Buffy had fainted, Angelus knew that, but he was too busy staring at her in shock and backing away from her to notice. Those words. It was the last words she had spoken that were now the cause for his shock. What were the chances that she would use those exact words? How could she have known?

Then the realization hit Angelus so hard he almost fell over with the force of it. He'd hurt her. He had taken out his pain of Abaigeal's death and of the frustration he had felt towards Angel, on Buffy. He had done the very thing to her that had been done to her in her pervious lifetime. The torture he had devious as a means to get revenge on what happened to Abby had now been turned on the girl that it was meant to avenge and Angelus, for the first time in his knowledge, felt guilty, felt remorse.

The memory of the night when Abaigeal died and had said the words that Buffy had, only a minute ago, repeated, came to the forefront of his mind and he gripped his head as the memory washed over him…

_Liam raced like a madman, hearing Abaigeal screaming even from where he was. God, if something happened to her, he'd never forgive himself. He shouldn't have left her. He had sworn to her that he was only going to be gone for a few moments, but that had been a few moments too long. Now, as he ran, he knew that every second apart from Abaigeal could be costing her her life. _

"_Liam!" Her scream sounded again and Liam ran faster down the cobblestone street before rounding a corner and pushing his way through the crowd that had developed. In the middle lay his Abaigeal in a pool of her own blood and there was a man standing over her that was laughing. _

_Liam ran for him but as soon as the man saw him, he vanished into thin air and the crowd around them gasped with freight, most stepping as far way from them as they could._

_Liam collapsed at Abby's side and gently pulled the weeping girl into his arms, careful not to hurt her anymore then she already was. God there was so much blood and looking down at her, Liam knew there was nothing he could do to save her._

"_Someone get a Doctor!" he yelled hoarsely back at the crowd before turning his attention back to Abby, who was now staring up at him, her hand weakly gripping the front of his now bloodstained shirt._

"_Liam," she whispered, but he placed a finger to her lips, silencing her._

"_Ssh, you need to rest," he said, trying to pretend that she wasn't dying and leaving him._

_Abby shook her head, he blood hair sticking to her forehead. "It's too late for that," she said, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'm tried of losing people, Liam," she said and he knew what she was taking about. _

_Liam shook his head. "You won't lose anyone else. I promised, remembered."_

_She nodded, but the tears still came. "All I ever wanted," she said slowly, " was to be with you, but even that got taken away from me."_

_Liam shook his head again, tears streaming down his own face and falling, mixing with Abby's blood. "They could never take me away from you, Abby. I'll never leave you."_

_She smiled slightly then. "I know," she answered, stroking his face. "I love you," she whispered and then her eyes closed and her hand went limp._

He'd failed her. He promised her that he'd never leave her and he had. Angelus may not have his soul and he and Angel may not have agreed on many things, but when it came to Buffy they had both been in agreement. They had both loved her; both wanted to protect her.

But that still didn't explain how Buffy could have uttered those words, so perfectly placed. It just didn't make sense. She couldn't have known.

Angelus reached forward and pulled Buffy into his arms, making sure that he didn't hurt her and that she was comfortable. He could feel the heat rolling off of her in waves, and he placed a cool hand against her forehead. She moaned softly at his touch and turned into him, trying to bury herself within his embrace.

It was then that Angelus noticed what it was that he been annoying him since Buffy's birthday and how Buffy could have possibly known about what Abby had said.

He growled softly. "You could have just told me," he said softly, and a blue mist suddenly appeared around Buffy and himself. It seemed to have wrapped itself tightly around Buffy's body and Angelus knew there was no way that it was leaving.

"_I tried,"_ the mist seemed to whisper. _"You wouldn't listen."_

Angelus eyes narrowed as he realized the truth of that statement. He'd spent over a hundred years trying to ignore his soul and now that he had finally done so he was surprised to find that it had actually worked.

But now, as he stared at the mist that was his soul, he was nothing short of confused. "You're gone," he stated.

Liam's chuckle could be heard clearly in the air around him. "_I'd keep my voice down if I were you,"_ he said._ "You're the only one who can see and hear me and what would one of your minions say if they saw you talking to an unconscious Slayer."_

"I don't care," Angelus replied, and he really didn't. "What I want to know is how are you here?"

"_Oh, come on, Angelus, you're a bright boy. You figure it out,"_ Liam replied, rather snarkly.

"I think I liked you better when you were in this body with me," Angelus said, rather taken aback by Liam's attitude. Soul boy hadn't been like that since before Abaigeal died.

"_Someone's on the right track,"_ Liam replied and Angelus realized that Liam was reading his mind.

"_Well, technically it's both our minds, more mine then yours seeing as I had it first, but that's neither here nor there."_

Angelus growled and wished that he could strangle Liam for being such a pain, but Liam didn't exactly have a corporal form at the moment.

"Abaigeal," Angelus said slowly, retracing his thoughts to get back on track. "This has something to do with Abaigeal."

"_When doesn't it,"_ Liam replied and Angelus had to agree. Ever since they had met Buffy, Abaigeal had been the focus of everything.

Angelus suddenly laughed, his mind quickly coming up with the answer to his question. "Soul-mates," he breathed, chuckling slightly.

"_Bravo. Knew you'd figure it out,"_ Liam said.

"So you told her then," Angelus said, staring down at Buffy through the mist. "She said those words because of you."

"_I didn't exactly tell her to say them, more like pushed her in the right direction,"_ Liam answered._ "I've been trying to get your attention for the last three months and Buffy finally gave me an opening to do so."_

Angelus sneered. "You spent a hundred years trying to shut me up and now you want to talk to me."

"_Think Angelus,"_ Liam responded. _"If Buffy and I are soul-mates, or more accurately the same soul, what do you think that makes you?"_

The fight had suddenly gone out of Angelus as he realized what Liam was getting at. "She's my mate."

Liam didn't reply, but Angelus could tell that he had heard it loud and clear.

"So you're still here because of Buffy?"

There was a pause, and then, _"I promised Abby I'd never leave her. Abby is Buffy."_

"That still doesn't explain how you're able to do what you're doing," Angelus replied, slightly annoyed at his soul's cryptic response.

Liam chuckled, the mist that he was pulsing slightly. _"I don't even know how I'm doing what I'm doing. They only way I can think of to explain it would be that you left me here when you left Buffy that night. Since she and I share the same soul, I'm right where I belong."_

"Reunited with your lost part," Angelus finished for him, gazing down into Buffy's face.

Buffy turned her head into the juncture between his neck and shoulder, moaning softly and Angelus realized that they couldn't stay here for much longer. It wasn't safe for her to be out here when she was like this.

"_It's not safe for her anywhere,"_ Liam answered and Angelus frowned.

"What do you mean?"

A misty blue tendril seemed to detach itself from the misty form around Buffy and reached down towards the sleeve of her jacket. It pulled it back to reveal shallow cuts all along Buffy's arm and Angelus knew that they weren't cause by any demon, except perhaps one.

"_You didn't do this,"_ Liam read his mind.

"If it wasn't me, then who? Buffy wouldn't do this." That he knew for a fact. It wasn't like Buffy to cause herself physical harm.

"_It was everything,_" Liam said, sounding sad. _"She lost me, you turned on her, her friends kept wailing on her for letting it happen, Giles was disappointed in her, and her mother wasn't helping much either."_

Angelus ran his hand gently over a few of the cuts and Buffy winced, even in her state of unconsciousness, burying herself deeper into his arms, if that was possible.

"She's missed you," he said suddenly and Angelus knew he had surprised Liam. He may be a demon, but being trapped with Liam for a hundred years had taught him some things and, whether he liked it or not, he'd fallen just as hard for Buffy as Liam had.

"_She's missed you too,"_ Liam said and Angelus raised an eyebrow. _"She doesn't know that she does, but she does. Buffy's different from Abby in that respect. Maybe it's because she's a Slayer, but a part of her has always loved your darkness as much as she's loved my light. Whether she realizes it or not, she misses the whole package, not just the soul. She misses Angel and Angel was a combination of me and you."_

Angelus breathed deeply, even though he didn't need too and rested his head against Buffy's, feeling Liam wrapped around her and just trying to think about what to do next. She was sick and he knew that he should get her home, but if she was hurting herself, sending her home might not be the smartest thing. But what else could he do with her? It's not like he could just kidnap her.

"_Why not?"_ Liam answered, shocking Angelus. _"It's not like we haven't done it before."_

"That was different and besides, her friends would worry," Angelus answered, though he could hardly care about them at this point in time.

"_Let them,"_ Liam answered. _"It's their fault that Buffy's gotten so bad."_

"Part of that blame rests on me as well for abandoning her," Angelus replied, feeling the guilt again, which he definitely didn't like at all. He was a demon, damn it, he didn't feel guilt, or pain or remorse.

"_Welcome to my world,"_ Liam answered and Angelus snorted.

"Your world sucks, Soul Boy."

"_I don't know about that,"_ Liam replied. _"My world has Buffy in it."_

"So does mine."

"_But not in the way you would like,"_ Liam taunted. _"But now's your chance to do something about it."_

Angelus sighed. "There isn't anywhere I can take her. Dru and Spike will be at my back the moment they find out not to mention what her friends would do."

"_That's if they could find you," _Liam answered and Angelus was beginning to wonder if this was really Liam he was talking too.

"You've changed," he stated, and Liam chuckled.

"_Nope. Just not weighed down with all the guilt of the things you did."_

**_Well that explains it then, _**Angelus thought. "Now what did you mean, if they can't find us. What do you except me to do? Skip the country with her?"

"_Why not? She'd be safe and it give both her and you the time together that you both need."_

Angelus frowned. "Since when have you trusted me with Buffy."

"_Since you finally realized your mistake. I may hate you most of the time, Angelus, but your really the only other person, or demon I should say, that I trust Buffy with."_

"So what, I just take her and go where?"

"_The only place I can think off where you'd both be safe is in my family's home in Galway. I still own the place and the Ring of Amarna is there."_

Angelus growled. "So that's where you hid the damn thing."

"_You couldn't be trusted with it, Angelus. I couldn't even be trusted with it, but this is for Buffy. She'll recover better if you can take her out in the daylight."_

The sound of footsteps and laughter alerted Angelus to the presence of others and the mist that was Liam suddenly disappeared, but Angelus knew he was still there. Angelus stood quickly, Buffy still in his arms, and hid around the back of the small mausoleum just as the Scoobies turned around a headstone.

"I really hope Buffy's doing okay," Willow said and Angelus growled softly. Buffy was **not** okay.

"I'm sure she's fine, Will. Giles made her take the night off and I'm sure she's sitting in front of the TV asleep." Xander replied, munching on a chocolate bar he had while twiddling a stake in his other hands.

Knowing that if he stayed there he'd be responsible for a few more deaths that night, Angelus turned away from them with Buffy held tightly in his arms and headed towards his old apartment. He needed to make a few calls and go and find some things for Buffy. He didn't know how he was going to get anything for her as he was locked from her house now, but he'd figure something out.

_Leave that to me,_ Liam whispered in his mind and Angelus suddenly noticed the blue mist was back and unwrapping itself from Buffy. Moments later it was flying away and out of sight.

Angelus smirked and pulled Buffy closer. Looked like Soul Boy was going to be of some use after all.

**

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**AN:** Hope you guys enjoyed it. I've had a bit of trouble with this chapter because of the conversation between Angelus and Liam. I don't really believe they hate each other that much, I mean they were stuck with each other for a hundred years. Feelings warm over time. Anyways, review and let me know what you guys think and if I should countinue down this route. I think you guys will like what I've got planned. 'til next time!

p.s Review!


	3. Reservations

**BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER **

'Wherever You May Be'

Written by Moonlight Snitch

Spoilers for Killed By Death and Becoming Part I (Flashbacks)

**Chapter Two – Reservations **

"Xander, cut it out," Willow said, exasperated as she watched Xander jump up and down.

"What? Can you really blame me for being a little happy? We took out three vamps last night all on our own, without Buffy. Maybe now she'll get the proper rest she needs."

Willow nodded. "Maybe. I'm not sure though, you know Buffy. I was surprised that we didn't see her out there last night. I guess she actually decided to listen to Giles for one."

Xander smirked. "Yup, and it'll probably never happen again."

Willow nodded in agreement as they pushed open the doors to the library, expecting everything to be quiet, but instead being greeted by the scene of a very flustered Giles on the phone.

"No, I haven't seen her at all, my understand was that she was at home last night?"

Willow frowned and glanced over at Xander to see that he was looking just as confused. What was going on?  
"No, I'll phone if I she her?" Giles replied to who ever was on the other line and hung up, a frown marring his brow.

"Giles," Willow asked, gaining his attention. "Is everything alright?"

Giles sighed, pulling his glasses off and wiping them off in his shirt. "That's was…umm, Mrs. Summers. It seems Buffy's missing."

"Missing?" Willow asked.

"Wasn't she at home last night?" Xander asked, frowning.

"That's what everyone thought. Mrs. Summers said that Buffy had been in bed last night when she last checked on her, but she wasn't there this morning. She called to see if she'd decided to come to school, though with how sick she's been, I had advised her to stay home."

"You don't think she went out last night, do you? Cause, you know, she's sick and sick plus Slayage is bad," Willow stammered.

Giles placed his glasses back on and tucked his hands in his pockets. "I don't know. She might have and if that's the case we need to find her."

"Oh, man, you don't think she's…" Xander trailed off, looking decidedly green.

"No, I don't believe so," Giles replied. "If something had happened to her, another Slayer would have been called and the council would have contacted me to learn the details. Since they haven't, I'm going to assume that she's alright."

"What are we going to do?" Willow asked, wrapping her arms around herself. She couldn't bare the thought of something happening to Buffy.

"At the moment, you two are going to go to class. Act as though nothing is amiss. Meanwhile, I'm going to start trying to get some information. She if anyone knows where she might be. We can start an all out search after school hours."

Willow nodded though Xander didn't looked too please. "That's it. We just act as though nothings wrong," he yelled in frustration. "Buffy's missing. She could be hurt or dead for all we know and we're just going to 'go to class'."

"There isn't much to be done on the information that we have, Xander," Giles replied, trying to calm the teen.

"Giles is right, Xander. We just need to stay calm. We won't be any help to Buffy if we're not." Willow said.

Xander seemed to calm, but Willow could tell he was still upset. "I hate to mention this, be you don't think Angel-"

"We can't assume that," Giles answered. "Even ill, Buffy can take care of herself. I'm sure this is nothing serious."

"Okay," Xander answered. "Bt what if he does have her?"

Giles sighed, looking down at the ground. "We'll deal with that if we come to that," he replied.

* * *

"That's right, for two," Angelus answered, rubbing his head where a headache was forming. He'd been on the phone with these morons for over an hour now and he felt like he was just running around in circles. Decent help was so hard to find these days.

He shoved another sweater into his bag, bracing the phone between his ear and shoulder. He was almost done here and then he'd be able to leave. Well, once the sun was down anyways.

Angelus growled again into the phone. "Look, how hard can this be? I just need safe transportation for myself and one other to Galway, Ireland. How many times do I have to say it?"

Buffy's moan from the corner of the room where the bed was drew his attention. She was facing him, her forehead drenched in sweat and the sheets tangled around her. Angelus made his way towards her and gently wiped the hair away from her face. She moaned at his touch and turned into it.

"Look," Angelus said, being mindful to keep his voice low. "I want to talk to your superior. Tell them who I am and maybe I'll reconsider killing you."

There was a rustling noise on the other side and then the click of the phone going on hold.

Angelus sat himself down gently on the side of the bed, watching Buffy sleep. He had to get her out of here. They'd been here too long. He knew that her family and friends would know that she's missing by now and he also knew that by nightfall he'd have a lot more people on his tail then just them. Spike and Dru were sure to be after him as well, especially if they put Buffy and his disappearance together.

A light knock at the door drew his attention away from Buffy. He noticed a faint bluish light coming from under the door and knew that it was Liam finally getting back.

He rose and crossed the room to the door. Once it was opened, the bluish mist that was Liam flew past him, a bag floating along with him.

"_Well, that was fun,"_ Liam commented, dropping the bag onto the sofa, before heading back towards Buffy.

Still on hold, Angelus addressed Liam as he closed the door. "I take it there was trouble."

"_Not really,"_ Liam commented. _"Just the slight problem of trying to get what Buffy would need without her mother seeing me and then trying to get here without being seen."_

Angelus nodded just as the line picked up again. "Lilah Morgan, how can I help you, Angelus?"

Angelus smirked. Finally, someone who knew what they were doing. He could tell by the tone of this woman's voice that she was no push over.

"Like I was telling you lanky, I need transportation to Galway, Ireland for myself and one other passenger. Preferably something fast and that will guard against the sunlight."

"I believe that can be arranged, however there's one thing I need to know," she replied.

"And that would be?"

"Last we heard of you, you had a soul. Why contact us?"

Angelus growled. "Then I believe you need to keep up to date. Soul's gone, and I don't want to be answering many questions."

There was a pause for a moment, and then, "Alright then. Is there anything else you need?"

Angelus glanced over towards Buffy, seeing that she'd settled a little now that Liam was here, but she was still tossing slightly in here sleep. "Medical supplies. My companion is ill."

"Vampire?" Lilah questioned.

"No, human and no more questions."

There was a sigh. "Very well. Your transportation will be waiting for you at the airstrip outside LA. I'm going to guess that you won't be there until after nightfall."

"Correct," Angelus replied.

"Okay then, everything will be ready for you then."

Angelus clicked the phone off, tossing it back onto the sofa.

Liam chuckled from where he hovered above Buffy. _"I guess I'm not the only one having trouble."_

Angelus just glared at him as he moved back towards his bag to finish packing. "Wolfram and Hart isn't exactly running the way it use to," he replied.

Liam chuckled again. _"You mean they don't fear you like they use too."_

Angelus growled at him. "That's their mistake."

"_Angelus,"_ Liam's voice held a cautioning note. _"You know you can't act that way anymore, not if you want to help Buffy."_

Angelus growled as he zipped up his bag. He knew Liam was right. If he wanted to help Buffy, he'd have to change how he operated. He couldn't continue to kill people and he certain couldn't treat Buffy the way he had been treating her. He'd have to act like Angel. The problem was, he wasn't Angel. Sure, he was a part of Angel, but he was the darker part. To bad Liam couldn't be the one to help Buffy.

"_I would if I could,"_ Liam replied, and Angelus sighed again, wishing Liam would quit reading his mind.

"_Again, would if I could, but I can't really not read your mind,"_ Liam answered and Angelus could swear by the sound of his voice that Soul boy was smirking.

"I'm not Angel, Liam," Angelus said, ignoring Liam's last comment.

"_Well, I think I would know that better then anyone," _Liam replied, chuckling slightly.

Angelus growled again. "This isn't funny. You expect me to try and help Buffy, but how can I help her. I'm not who she needs. She needs Angel and I don't think I can be him for her."

"_Are my ears deceiving me or did the great Angelus, Scourge of Europe, just admit that he couldn't do something?"_ Liam's voice held a trace of amusement.

"Dammit, Liam!" Angelus yelled angrily, making Buffy moan in her sleep. Seeing that, Angelus tried to calm himself. "I'm a fucking demon, alright," he continued. "I kill to live and sometimes just for fun. Angel never did either and I don't really think I can help Buffy."

There was a pause and then Liam answered. _"If you don't help her, who will? I can't remember?"_

Angelus didn't reply. He just continued to look down at the ground. He could almost picture what was going through his soul's mind. Who'd of thought that Angelus had to be comforted by his soul? The thought wasn't a pleasant one, but Angelus wasn't sure what else to do. He'd never been in this type of situation before.

Buffy was his mate, he knew this and now that he knew, he could feel it, but he couldn't do what a vampire would normally do with their mate, regardless of the fact that ever cell in his body was screaming for it. He wanted to mark her, to make her his own, but he couldn't trust himself to do so. Normally a vampire who'd found its mate would sire their mate, but he couldn't do that in this case and he wouldn't. He knew that Buffy's worst nightmare was to become like him, a vampire, and he wasn't going to put her in that position. No matter how much his nature commanded him to do so.

Liam sighed deeply, drawing Angelus's attention. _"You're right when you say that she needs Angel,_" he said. _"But Angel's gone. You know it and I know it. We'll just have to do the best we can being separated."_

Angelus crocked an eyebrow. "And what exactly can you do about it? Your just a big bluish mist."

Liam seemed to balk at the question. _"I may be a bluish mist but I've done more for Buffy then you have lately."_

Angelus sighed. "Don't remind me."

Liam chuckled. _"It's not my fault that you act before you think."_

Angelus growled softly, trying to think of someway to reply when Buffy shifted again in her sleep, moaning slightly.

Liam vanished suddenly and Angelus made his way closer to the bed. Buffy's eyes had opened a crack and see looked up at him, but Angelus could see that her eyes were glassed over due to her fever.

"Angel?" She questioned, and Angelus realized that she was slightly delirious and didn't know what was going on around her.

He sat himself down beside her and stroked her cheek, deciding that pretending to be Angel was the safest thing to do at the moment. "I'm here, love."

She sighed softly at his caress and tried to move closer to him. "I thought that you'd left."

Angelus shook his head. "I'd never leave you. I'm right here."

Her face scrunched up suddenly and tears formed in her eyes. "Angel?" she whispered brokenly and Angelus didn't pause to think about what could be going through her head. He just gently lifted Buffy up into his arms and settled himself back against the headboard.

Buffy began to sob brokenly into his chest and Angelus just held her, rubbing her back soothingly and kissing her forehead. "Ssh," he whispered. "I'm right here, Buffy. I'm right here."

Buffy wrapped a hand in his shirt, burying herself further into his embrace. "You were gone," she sobbed. "I woke up and you were gone."

"I know," Angelus answered, not sure if she was talking about her birthday or just the last few months in general. He didn't even know if she thought she was dreaming or not. Surely if she was in her right mind she'd realize that he wasn't Angel.

"But I'm not going anywhere again, okay," he whispered into her hair and he felt her nod. "I'm staying right here. I'm not going to leave you."

Buffy continued to sob and Angelus didn't know what to do to sooth her. He continued to hold her close and rock her, but she didn't calm. Finally he thought of something that might help and began to sing softly,

"_Tha mi sgìth 's mi leam fhìn, buain na rainich, buain na rainich. Tha mi sgìth 's mi leam fhìn, buain na rainich daonnan."_

Buffy's sobs seemed to subside a little and Angelus smiled. The song he was singing was an old Gaelic lullaby, one Abby had loved. Liam always used to sing it for her when she had been upset so Angelus wasn't surprised that Buffy was responding to it.

"_Cùl an tomain, braigh an tomain, Cùl an tomain bhòidhich. Cùl an tomain, braigh an tomain, 'H-uile là a'm' onar."_

Buffy's sobs subsided all together and she settled more peacefully on his chest. Angelus knew she wasn't asleep yet, though. So he continued with the lullaby.

"_'S tric a bha mi fhìn 's mo leannan anns a' ghleannan cheòthar, 'g éisdeachd còisir bhinn an doire seinn 's a' choille chòmhail."_

Buffy finally dozed off after a while, but Angelus just continued to sing softly. It reminding him of a life that he never personally live, but it helped him to come to terms with what he would soon have to face. He was Angel, but maybe, just maybe, he'd be able to help Buffy all the same.

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**_AN:_** Well that's all for now. Sorry it took long to get this out, but I've been busy. Remember to review and let me know what you guys thought!


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